In 1937, R. Schwartz and M. Schmiesser prepared a yellow-orange bromine oxide (BrO₂) by treating Br₂ with ozone in a fluorocarbon solvent. Many years later, J. Pascal found that, on heating, this oxide decomposed to two other oxides, a less volatile golden yellow oxide (A) and a more volatile deep brown oxide (B). Oxide B was later identified as Br₂O. To determine the formula for oxide A, a sample was treated with sodium iodide. The reaction liberated iodine, which was titrated to an equivalence point with 17.7 mL of 0.065 M sodium thiosulfate.

Compound A was also treated with AgNO₃, and 14.4 mL of 0.020 M AgNO₃ was required to completely precipitate the bromine from the sample.
(a) What is the formula of the unknown bromine oxide A?
(b) Draw Lewis structures for A and Br₂O. Speculate on their molecular geometry.

Transcribed Image Text:

1₂(aq) + 2 S₂O3²-(aq) → 2 1-(aq) + S₂O² (aq)